Ask St. Ann’s – What To Expect When Moving Into Independent Living

By Brian Burger

Will you be an empty nester or easing into retirement soon? Now’s an excellent time to right-size your home and responsibilities and treat yourself to a more comfortable life by moving to an independent living community.

 Quaint cottage homes found in independent living communities have the amenities of a privately owned home, such as multiple bedrooms and baths, a fully equipped kitchen, laundry, and an attached garage. Many people 60+ choose them for peace of mind and freedom they bring.

• Maintenance-free living. Cut down your to-do list of homeowner responsibilities and chores. Independent living provides housekeeping, lawn care, snow removal, trash pick-up, and household maintenance and repairs, from changing light bulbs to fixing appliances. If you don’t drive or want someone else to do the driving when you go shopping, do errands, or go to the doctor, transportation is included in your monthly rent, too.

• Built-in safety. Independent living strives to help seniors age in place safely, when possible. For example, St. Ann’s Community at Cherry Ridge in Webster has motion sensors in every cottage and provides residents with Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) buttons. If there’s no movement in the home for an extended period of time, a staff person checks in to ensure everyone’s okay.

• Focus on wellness. A wellness coach on staff gets to know residents and plans a host of special events and daily activities to encourage an active lifestyle for overall health and wellbeing. You’ll have plenty of choices to enjoy and new friends to make.

• Walkable neighborhood. Sidewalks and a neighborhood restaurant and club room to walk to are often standard features of independent living communities. Many also have nature trails through wooded areas and landscape features like ponds so there’s lots of wildlife. Many residents also run into old friends who are now their new neighbors!

• Consolidated expenses. In addition to maintenance-free living and active social life, monthly rent covers most utilities and services, so paying bills and balancing your checkbook are easier. Plus, you’ll save money on your internet, cable, and phone services with community negotiated rates. Best of all, no property taxes!

• Priority access to care. Senior communities that offer a full continuum of care ensure you’ll have priority access to higher care levels as your needs change. Some communities also have a Primary Care practice on campus. St. Ann’s Community, for example, works with Pillar Medical Associates whose doctors can even make house calls to St. Ann’s residents. Many communities also offer transportation to medical appointments, so that you can keep your existing care providers if you don’t want to switch.

“We should’ve done this years ago” is a typical response heard from residents at Cherry Ridge. Their advice? Don’t wait! Make a move while you’re able to enjoy all that independent living has to offer.

It’s never too early to plan for your future if independent living sounds like a great fit for you. Visit the many senior living communities in the greater Rochester area to learn which one suits your lifestyle and budget.


Brian Burger is marketing representative at St. Ann’s Community at Cherry Ridge. You can reach him at 585-270-6277 or [email protected].

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